Heart Arrhythmia - Scared

[Endless]

Went to see my PCP yesterday because I had this awful feeling that something was really wrong. At costco I felt this feeling of doom (like before a seizure), but felt like I was going to pass out. I felt like I was dying.

Anyway, it turned out to be heart arrhythmia. The doc said it was "the kind where someone just drops." I interpret "drop" to mean "die." She referred me to a heart specialist but it's awhile before I can get in to see him. Until then I've declared bed rest for myself. I like being alive.

There are some things that immediately came to mind on the arrhythmia, like electrolytes because two of the meds I'm on could really screw those up. But everything was in normal ranges, including sodium and potassium.

Could the arrhythmia be seizures?

I have IIH (Intracranial Hypertension, or Psudotumor Cerebri). I don't suppose anybody in here has that, and knows if it causes arrhythmia? The only thing I could find on the internet is an electrolyte imbalance caused by Diamox. As per above, that's not my problem.

I'm not even that old - late 40's. If you say I'm menopausal, I will have to personally come over to your house,TP it, pour honey all over the TP, and then pray for rain. Your house will be cemented in strips of white.

I've always had such a healthy body. Robust, even. And I've taken such good care of my body - what I put in it, exercise, etc. All of the sudden it's gone to hell, like in the last year. First seizures, then IIH, now heart arrhythmia. What the *&*)?

 

[Nakamova]

Endless I'm so sorry. I hope you are feeling better, and can take it easy. I hoep you get some answers soon and I send you major hugs in the meantime.

Did your PCP give you any instructions for what to do while you're waiting to see the cardiologist? Perhaps she should refer you to an ER so you can get an EKG?

I did find some connections between Diamox and arrhythmia listed on the web :
http://www.ehealthme.com/ds/diamox/arrhythmia
...so maybe that's the cause for this out-of the blue heart stuff. The timing seems suspicious.

 

[Endless]

Nakamova,

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have emailed the link to my PCP.

 

[Nakamova]

One more thing:

Cardiac arrhythmia can cause seizures (which would be considered physiological non-epileptic in that case). And, just to make things complicated, seizures can cause cardiac arrhythmia.

An ECG would give a better sense -- if the heart is in good shape, then it's less likely that seizures are causing the arrhythmia.


BTW, from what I can tell Endless, your heart is more than fine, it's big and wonderfully generous. So no worries.

 

[Endless]

I had an EKG, which I believe is the same thing. It's where the arrhythmia showed up. Why didn't she send me straight to the hospital?

Thanks for the big heart comment. It made me smile.

 

[Nakamova]

Can you call your PCP to get the scoop?

 

[Endless]

Yeah, I called my doc. But I haven't gotten a call back.

Funny how the list of symptoms of a heart attack in women are exactly the same as it is for some of our AEDs, and definitely of IIH. I check almost all of the boxes.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/heal...

Unusual fatigue - 70%
Sleep disturbance - 48%
Shortness of breath - 42%
Indigestion - 39%
Anxiety - 35%
Shortness of breath - 58%
Weakness - 55%
Unusual fatigue - 43%
Cold sweat - 39%
Dizziness - 39%

Okay, all of us that feel 1/2 of the above, let's meet in Texas and all start out to an ER together. Don't forget to pop that aspirin. We'll fill up every single ER bed in the state. And it's a big state.

:?

 

[Nakamova]

Gosh, most of those happen while uh... making love (Kids, go to your rooms!)
Guess I'm gonna have to stop...

 

[Endless]

Wow.... it puts me to sleep like a sleeping pill (afterwards!!!), and melts all my troubles away into a warm, sleepy little cocoon (no anxiety here!!!)

But I agree with the rest of the list.

lol....

 

[monalisa375]

Sorry to hear you are having such a scare.
A self appointed rest sounds very good.
Can you ask to go on a cancelation list for your cardiologist? (If someone cancels you can get thier appointment?)
Maybe you can take a copy of the EKG to the ER if you feel alwful again. Even if you think it is your seizures.

Hope you get answers soon.

 

[Crystal11]

In 2000 I started having a strange situation with my heart. When I was 4hr old, my twin and I had heart surgury to have a staple put in to close a hole. We were three months premature and had many problems.
In 2000 I started noticing a strange sensation in my heart- it would skip every 3 beats and once it skipped it would stop for a beat or two. I dealt with this for the whole summer which was 3 months! I thought it was stress related or some other trouble but nothing serious..
So one day I was feeling bad and short of breath and was laying down in bed. I got up and was very dizzy and went to Mom and asked for her to feel my pulse. She said it might be a heart murmur and she asked if I wanted to go to the ER and she told me it was my decision. So I decided to go since it wasnt stopping at all!
Once I got there, they immediatly saw me and tested my BP and used an EKG to check how my heart was doing. I could hear it skipping as the machine was beeping! I said "See Mom! This is what it sounds like and its what i feel all the time."
Because I was born 3 months early and had a PDA/Patent Ductus Arteriosis repair it was more of an emergency to them. I thought it was my staple coming out! They got a wheelchair and rushed me back in there and refused to let me walk on my own. I was scared!
They used another type of EKG that was probably 20 leads compared to 4. They saw on the tracing three beats and a pause, then again and again. They gave me a shot of Ativan to stop it from doing that but I was high from it LOL.
The EKG monitor went off I dont know how many times because to it, my heart stopped- although it did, it would start again within one beat. While resting, my heart rate went up to 136 beats a minute which is high and very very uncomfortable!
Normal range is 60-70bpm resting.

I went to see the cardiologist who was great to me. We did 3-day ambulatory EKG tracing that I had to wear to school!
It found I had a heart murmur and also helped diagnosis me with Premature Atrial Contractions and Tachycardia. I still had issues with it but my heart is strong and they don't believe it will cause any serious problems- its just annoying and causes shortness of breath, dizziness and faint feeling. I take Propranolol/Inderal as needed for it.

When the doc says that he worries about you falling out, it means that you possibly have snycope which is a condition where the blood doesn't get to your brain and you pass out for a short time. The blood flow just doesn't get up from the heart to the brain fast enough during the episodes and can cause fainting.

I started taking Toprol XR then changed to Propranolol which both are beta-blockers. So far so good.
I developed worsening migraines w/Aura a few years ago and its gotten so bad that I take two meds for them along with two meds for epilepsy.
Anyway- I found out that taking Propranolol every morning is preventing migraines too.
Although Trazodone and Butalbital helps, Propranolol adds a little more protection again migraines and tachycardia both.

I wouldn't worry too much. If it never went away when you saw the doc, then they would want to observe you.

I hope you feel better and make sure to go to the ER if it gets worse.
Dont have too much caffeine or stimulants as it can set it off.

 

[Endless]

Hi, everybody,

To hear the end of the story, go to my last post in this thread:

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f34/rant-i-am-so-tired-docs-11498/

 

[Endless]

P.S.

Crystal, know what you mean about heart rate discomfort. Mine hovered around 120 half the time. I felt like I do when I'm swimming laps, except I was just laying there. Mine was lower than yours. Not pleasant, but wasn't painful, either.